SEVENTH HEAVEN

 It was only a small soul, unobtrusive, humble and patient. It went doggedly heavenward, sedately but purposefully. When the body that had sheltered it for far too many years was found by a rambler, its small soul had already departed. It couldn’t wait to go to Heaven.

As it approached, there was a long queue of souls who, like it, were about to enter Heaven. The line stretched for a long way, and the small soul felt excited. An angel, pacing down the line, was asking in a soft voice: “Who are you here to see?” To which each hopeful answered reverently: “My God.”

No one was turned away.

When it came to the small soul’s turn, the angel asked his customary question: “Who are you here to see?”

Without hesitation his reply came loud and clear: “My Dog.”

There was some shy tittering from behind. A fellow hopeful snapped: “We have a dyslexic here!” The queue erupted with laughter. “It’s God, not Dog!” said another. The small soul became aware of murmurs and protests about time wasters and awkward individuals rippling down the queue.

But the angel looked at the small soul and beamed a smile down at it. It was a smile that said, “I understood you perfectly. Don’t worry.” It filled the small soul with joy. The crowd soon fell silent. The angel put a protective arm around the small soul and said, to no one in particular: “We have a small soul here who wants to go to the Dogs’ Heaven.”

The small soul, accompanied by the angel, walked through the Gates.

“It’s that way” said the Angel pointing towards some sliding gates ahead and where they could hear dogs barking. The small soul started running and, as he was about to open the doors to the Dogs’ Heaven, he heard someone call after him.

“Wait a minute! Before you go in, I have a few questions to ask you.

I was Chairman of the RSPCA for many years down below, and I am in charge of the Dogs’ Heaven. Have you any useful experience with dogs at all?”

“Lots and lots,” said the small soul modestly.

“Are you any good at discipline and training?”

“No,” replied the small soul. “I loved my dogs and they knew it. They always obeyed me perfectly well.”

The former RSPCA Chairman went on:” There is an awful lot of barking, barging, and baying going on at the moment. Big, strong souls are required for the Dogs’ Heaven. We need order and discipline! I don’t think I can accept a small soul like you.”

But the small soul had made up his mind:

“Please let me go to the Dogs’ heaven! There isn’t any other place I’d rather be. I want to be with all my dogs, my own dogs. I promised them I would joint them one day, and I cannot break my promise.”

The posh soul hesitated for a few instants but eventually he said:

“Alright, you may go in!”

The small soul opened the heavy sliding doors wide open and immediately was laid flat on the floor as thousands of dogs’ souls fell on top of it. The small soul waited patiently; it felt safe, not frightened at all. Sure enough, after a little while, all the dogs went about their own way, some went to look for rabbits’ souls, some went barking up trees at cats’ souls, but many sat patiently waiting.

The small soul got up and dusted itself, for the floor of the Dogs’ Heaven was rather dusty. It looked round and whistled, once and then twice. It was a soft whistling, an unusual sound. Seven dogs came bounding up towards it excitedly, all ears flying.

“Here I am” was all the small soul managed to say at first as it knelt down putting its arms around them. Clearing the lump in its throat, it said:

“I am here! You see, I kept my promise I made you all these years ago. Thank you for waiting for me so faithfully all this time.”

The dogs wagged their tails excitedly and rested their wet noses into the small soul’s hands. They walked to the top of the furthest hill. The dogs were running ahead and the small soul was struggling to keep up with them. But when they reached the top, there was the most beautiful view stretching to eternity. The air was soft, everything was perfect.

The small soul sat down on the scented grass and made itself comfortable. All the dogs came to sit around it. After a while, the small soul rested its head on the shaggiest dog and gently pushed the smelliest dog down by its feet, the rest of them found their usual places alongside the small soul, like they used to do down below. They were all warm and cosy.

The small soul suddenly felt incredibly happy: “This is a million times better than I ever imagined, I am in Seventh Heaven now,” it thought. “It was well worth the rotten life I had down below.”

And then it fell in a deep contented sleep.

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